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Letter to John Boehner, Speaker of the House, Eric Cantor, House Majority Leader, Bob Goodlatte, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee - Voting Rights Act

Letter

By: Dina Titus, Lois Frankel, Cheri Bustos, John Tierney, Jim McGovern, Rick Larsen, Steven Horsford, Chellie Pingree, Louise Slaughter, Rush Holt, Jr., Gregory Meeks, Diana DeGette, Bruce Braley, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mark Pocan, Jerry Nadler, Mike Thompson, Pedro Pierluisi, Janice Hahn, Karen Bass, Jan Schakowsky, Scott Peters, Ron Barber, Joyce Beatty, Suzanne Bonamici, Charlie Rangel, Carolyn Maloney, Jim Cooper, Ami Bera, Jared Huffman, Gene Green, Peter DeFazio, Ron Kind, John Sarbanes, Dutch Ruppersberger, Niki Tsongas, Adam Smith, Doris Matsui, Jim Clyburn, Barbara Lee, Joe Crowley, Zoe Lofgren, Steve Israel, Mike Quigley, Katherine Clark, Raul Grijalva, Luis Gutiérrez, Ed Perlmutter, Elijah Cummings, Betty McCollum, Jim McDermott, Alcee Hastings, Sr., Pete Gallego, Frederica Wilson, Terri Sewell, Denny Heck, Marcia Fudge, John Garamendi, Derek Kilmer, Susan Davis, André Carson, Eni Faleomavaega, Hank Johnson, Jr., Earl Blumenauer, Frank Pallone, Jr., Don Payne, Jr., Xavier Becerra, Jim Moran, Jr., Bill Foster, Filemon Vela, Jr., Nita Lowey, Michelle Lujan Grisham, John Conyers, Jr., Steny Hoyer, Alan Grayson, Yvette Clarke, Bill Enyart, Eliot Engel, José Serrano, Rubén Hinojosa, Sr., Donna Edwards, Jim Himes, Jackie Speier, Allyson Schwartz, Albio Sires, Sean Maloney, Chris Van Hollen, Jr., Brian Higgins, Beto O'Rourke, John Barrow, Tim Ryan, John Dingell, Sandy Levin, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Nick Rahall II, Keith Ellison, Kathy Castor, Adam Schiff, Steve Cohen, Sam Farr, Anna Eshoo, Judy Chu, Ted Deutch, Ben Luján, Jr., Danny Davis, Lois Capps, G. K. Butterfield, Jr., Sheila Jackson Lee, Henry Cuellar, Kyrsten Sinema, Raul Ruiz, Eleanor Norton, Linda Sánchez, John Carney, Jr., Mike Honda, Henry Waxman, Hakeem Jeffries, John Yarmuth, Rosa DeLauro, Tony Cárdenas, John Delaney, Jared Polis, David Cicilline, Robin Kelly, Emanuel Cleaver II, Cedric Richmond, David Price, Tim Bishop, Dan Kildee, Colleen Hanabusa, Madeleine Bordallo, Gary Peters, Ed Pastor, Gerry Connolly, Annie Kuster, Lloyd Doggett II, Rick Nolan, Julia Brownley, Joe Garcia, Marc Veasey, Corrine Brown, Bobby Rush, Matt Cartwright, Juan Vargas, Brad Sherman, Al Green, George Miller, Alan Lowenthal, Lacy Clay, Jr., Joe Kennedy III, Elizabeth Esty, Jim Langevin, Gwen Moore, Sanford Bishop, Jr., Paul Tonko, Peter Welch, Bobby Scott, Eddie Johnson
Date: March 31, 2014
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Legal Elections

Dear Speaker Boehner, Leader Cantor, and Chairman Goodlatte:

In the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby County v. Holder last year, Chief Justice Roberts expressly acknowledged the persistence of voter discrimination and challenged Congress to formulate an updated coverage formula to protect against it. H.R. 3899, the Voting Rights Amendment Act, is a bipartisan bill that would restore the safeguards of the 1965 Voting Rights Act in a manner consistent with the Shelby County decision. Some of us believe the bill should be enacted in its current form, and some of us would prefer to see it amended. But all of us stand united in our desire for the House to consider the issue in time for the entire Congress to work its will before the August district work period.

In that spirit, we ask that the Judiciary Committee hold a hearing on this legislation and proceed toward a markup with full confidence that any legislation passed out of the committee will be considered on the House floor. We stand ready to work with you to move the bipartisan bill to the floor expeditiously. We are confident that a bipartisan bill passed by the House would be swiftly passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President.

While we differ in our views on the ideal response to Shelby County, we all hope to join you in building on the bipartisan agreement that has been reached to ensure that, as President Ronald Reagan said, "no barrier will come between our citizens and the voting booth."

Sincerely,


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